Electric-switch block



H. GATLIN ELECTRIC SWITCH BLOCK Filad Nov. 18, 1920 Sept. 15, 1925.

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9 9H@ A 4 o m Patented Sept. 15, 1925 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HCYTCATLIN, or nitrnenronfr, CONNECTICUT, iis-sienes ATo Tian Bn'vitNTELiaCTRiC COMPANY, or BRInGEro-RT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION orCCNNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC-SWITCH BLOCK.

Application filed November 18, 1920. Serial No. 424,976.

To aZZwLom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HCYT GATLIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric-Switch Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches, and particularly to switchesof the general type shown in the Goodridge Patent No. 1,323,047,November 25, 1919, and my copending application Ser. No. 328,222, filedOctober 3', 1919. The object of the present invention is to providel acombined fuse and connection block of simplified Construction havingcertainfeatures of novelty hereinafter described or shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a group ofconnection blocks in whichmy invention is embodied in one form;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of one of the blocks; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively sections on the lines 3 3 and 4 4, Fig.1.

Inasmuch as the present invention is concerned primarily with theconnection block upon which is mounted a switch of the type shown in theGoodridge patent above mentioned, the switch is not here illustrated. Itis to be understood, however, that the present block is primarilydesigned to receive such a switch base, and to afford means forconnection tothe switch terminals in an analogous fashion.

As vshown in the accompanying drawings the connection block comprises abody 5 of insulating materialof generally rectangular shape having itslower face transversely channelled at 6 and 7 to receive two of the wire`mains 8, 9 and 10. Projecting into these grooves are Vwire terminals inthe form of clamping plates 11 and 12 engaged by screws 13 and 14, andserving to clamp bared sections of the mains against the ends of straps15 and 16 respectively. These straps lie in recesses 17 'and 18, whicheX- tend at right angles to the wire grooves, and the straps are Vheldin the grooves not only by the wire terminal clamping screws 13 and 14,but also by the screw bolts 19 and 20, which lie at right angles toscrews 13 and 14 and take into oilset lugs 21 and 22 attlre ends of thestraps to hold these lugs against shoulders 23 and 24 formed in theporcelain base for this purpose. The heads of the screws 19 and 20 formcenter contacts of fuse plug receptacles and overlie insulating discs 254)y which in turn overlie the yoke straps 26 and base `flanges 27 of thescrew shell side contacts 28' and 29 of the receptacles, the axes ofwhich arev parallel with the upper face of the block 5.V` Vells 30 and31 let into one end of the block 5, house the receptacles andeffectively insulate them. The yokes 26 are provided with oil'set'lugs32 and 33, respectively, engaged by the heads of screws 34 and 35 whichpass through the block 5 and secure,` on thel upper face of the latter,the counter-sunk terminal plates 36 and 37, which are tapped at 38 toreceive screws, by which connection is established with certain of theswitch terminals upon the associated switch base (not shown).

The block is also pierced at 39, 40 and 41 to accommodate branch leads(not shown) connected tothe terminal plates 42, 43 and 44, to whichcurrent is distributed by the switch through connections (not shown)from certain of the switch terminals by means of screws which take intothe taps 45, 46 and 47 in the several plates.

It is common practice in heater switch installations for electric rangesand the like, to mount a battery of switches side side to control theseveral heater units. While two-wire systems are frequently used, it isalso common to use a three-wire system in such installations, and it isgood practice to balance the several switches on the line by connectingall of the switches to the neutral main, and alternate switches to thepositive and negative mains. For a two-wire installation the mains areled directly through the grooves 6 and 7 in the lower face of theseveral blocks. For a three-wire system, however, the positive ornegative main to which connection is not made is accommodated in a thirdgroovev 48 formed in the end of the block opposite that at which thefuse receptacles are located, and connected by channels 49 and 50 onopposite sides of the block with vertical grooves 51 and 52 eX- tendingto the groove 7. A typical installation is shown in Fig. 1, in which thepositive main 9 jumps the unitvA, is then led through groove 7 in unit Bwhere it is connected to terminal 12, and is then led up through channel51, 52 and into the jumper channel 48 of unit C; while the negative main8 is connected to the terminal l2 of the unit A, uinps around unit B,and is connected again at unit C. The jumper loop J is thus kept out ofthe groove 7 and positioned on the block at a point remote from thebinding clamps 12. This construction not only renders the block 5 more.compact, but it facilitates the connection to the binding terminal l2 bytaking the unused main at a particular unit entirely out of the groove7, and furthermore it enables the wireman to readily assure himself thata properly balanced connection has been made since the lacing of themains in the jumper loop grooves graphically displays the connection andinsures a proper arrangement of the mains for a balanced installation.Of course the neutral main l() is carried straight through the switchgroup in the groove 5, and is connected to the terminal ll on eachblock.

In order to facilitate the placing of the cables in the groove 48, thecorner of the block adjacent the side groove 50 may be cut away as at53.

The block is lightened and material saved by the present construction,since the usual three-groove base is not only larger, but requires abinding terminal for each groove, as well as a connection between one ofthe contacts of a fuse receptacle and both of the terminals in thegrooves for the positive and negative mains; or the different blocksmust be provided respectively with connections to the plus and minuswire terminals. This entails complication of manufacture and a.burdensome increase in stoclr, and also necessitates great care infilling orders, and in the arrangement of the blocks when installed, inorder to insure the proper positioning of the different blocks to obtaina balanced connection. The present block is, on the other hand,universal, so that in a given installation all of the units are alike,while the correctness of the wiring connections is graphicallydisplayed. It may be pointed out that a further saving of nia-- terialis secured by carrying the Side walls of the fuse receptacle wells 3()and 3l only part of the depth of the base. The barrier between adjacentwells is, however, carried to the full depth of the fitting, thusaffording a substantial foot piece, as well as amply insulating thereceptacle chambers from each other. Again it will be noted that theonly screws used for holding the fuse receptacle contacts in positionserve also as conductors for connection with the mains, or with theterminal plates engaged by the screw bolts from the switch terminals.

Vari-ous modifications in detail of construction and arrangement of theparts will readily occur to those dealing with the problem, withoutdeparting, however, from what I claim as my invention.

I claiml. A connection block for a three-wire system comprising a bodyof insulating material grooved in one face for the reception of the.neutral conductor and a conductor of one polarity, means forestablishing electrical connection to said conductors on the block, saidblock being grooved in another face to receive the conductor of oppositepolarity looped around the block.

2. A connection block for a three-wire system comprising a body ofinsulating material grooved for the reception of the neutral conductorand a conductor of one polarity, means for establishing electricalconnection thereto on the block, said block being recessed in an endface to accommodate the conductor of opposite polarity looped around theblock.

A wire connection block comprising a body of insulating material groovedon its lower face to accommodate a pair of wire mains, and on one end toaccommodate a jumper loop, said block having channels leading from oneof the grooves in its lower face to the jumper loop groove in its end.

a. A connection block for a three-wire system comprising a body ofinsulating material grooved for the reception of the neutral conductorand a conductor of one polarity, fuse receptacle terminals arranged atone end of the block, means for establishing electrical connectionbetween one of said receptacle terminals and one of said conductors,said block being recessed at the end opposite the fuse receptacle toreceive the conductor of opposite polarity looped around the block.

5. A wire connection block for a threewire system comprising a body ofinsulating material grooved to afford three parallel channels for thereception of the conductors, means at two of said channels forestablishing electrical connection with the conductors arranged therein,said block being further recessed to form channels substantially atright angles to the third channel in which is accommodated the thirdwire looped around the block.

6. A wire connection block comprising a body of insulating materialgrooved on its lower face to accommodate a pair of wire mains, and onone end to accommodate a jumper loop at a different level, said blockbeing cut away at one corner to facilitate the placing of the jumperloop in said end groove.

7 In a wire connection block, a body of insulating material grooved inits lower face to accommodate a pair of wire mains, terminals mounted inthe uppei' face of the block to cooperate with an associated switchmember, fuse plug receptacle contacts arranged at one end of the base onan axis parallel to the top of the block, wire terminal straps lying atright angles to the said grooves in the base, and securing screwconnections between certain of said straps and certain of saidreceptacle contacts, on the one hand, and between certain other of saidreceptacle contacts and certain of the terminal plates on the top of theblock.

8. A connection block for use with an electric switch, having on oneface terminal plates for establishing connection with the contacts of asuperposed switch, said block being recessed on said face outside thearea of the terminal plates for the accommodation of a conductor, aJfuse receptacle arranged below said face of the block, a line terminaladapted to be connected with one of the terminal plates through a fuseinserted in said fuse receptacle, said block being pierced toaccommodate conductors passing through the block at the terminal platesfor connection thereto and affording means through which current may bedistributed by the switch.

9. In a connection block for use with an electric switch, terminalplates on one face of the block for establishing connection with thecontacts of a superposed switch base, said block being recessed on saidface outside the area of the terminal plates for the accommodation of aconductor, a Jfuse receptacle arranged on the opposite face of theblock, a line terminal connected to one of the contacts of the fusereceptacle7 the other contact of said receptacle being connected withone of the terminal plates, certain other of said plates being adaptedfor electrical connection to branch wires led to the opposite face ofthe block from that upon which the terminal plates rest.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication.

HOYT CATLIN.

